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arXiv:2511.15527

Inhomogeneous SSH models and the doubling of orthogonal polynomials

Nicolas Crampé, Quentin Labriet, Lucia Morey, Gilles Parez, Luc Vinet

math-phcond-mat.stat-mechcond-mat.str-elquant-phSubmitted Nov 19, 2025• Announced Nov 20, 2025

v1 · Nov 19, 2025 v2 · Feb 20, 2026

Abstract

We analyze Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) models using the doubling method for orthogonal polynomial sequences. This approach yields the analytical spectrum and exact eigenstates of the models. We demonstrate that the standard SSH model is associated with the doubling of Chebyshev polynomials. Extending this technique to the doubling of other finite sequences enables the construction of Hamiltonians for inhomogeneous SSH models which are exactly solvable. We detail the specific cases associated with Krawtchouk and $q$-Racah polynomials. This work highlights the utility of polynomial-doubling techniques in obtaining exact solutions for physical models.

Journal reference: SciPost Phys. 20, 124 (2026)
DOI: 10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.5.124
Comments: 16 pages

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We analyze Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) models using the doubling method for orthogonal polynomial sequences. This approach yields the analytical spectrum and exact eigenstates of the models. We demonstrate that the standard SSH model is associated with the doubling of Chebyshev polynomials. Extending this technique to the doubling of other finite sequences enables the construction of Hamiltonians for inhomogeneous SSH models which are exactly solvable. We detail the specific cases associated with Krawtchouk and

q

-Racah polynomials. This work highlights the utility of polynomial-doubling techniques in obtaining exact solutions for physical models.

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New exactly solvable one-dimensional XX spin chain models that exhibit perfect state transfer are defined. These models have inhomogeneous couplings and magnetic fields determined from the three-term recurrence relations satisfied by the q-Racah and para q-Racah polynomials. Due to this connection with orthogonal polynomials, the one-excitation sector can be solved analytically. This allows us to provide explicit sets of conditions on the polynomial parameters that guarantee the occurrence of perfect state transfer across these spin chains.

Abstract New exactly solvable one-dimensional XX spin chain models that exhibit perfect state transfer (PST) are defined. These models have inhomogeneous couplings and magnetic fields determined from the three-term recurrence relations satisfied by the q -Racah and para q -Racah polynomials. Due to this connection with orthogonal polynomials, the one-excitation sector can be solved analytically. This allows us to provide explicit sets of conditions on the polynomial parameters that guarantee the occurrence of PST across these spin chains.

We study the interplay of spontaneous symmetry breaking and topological properties in interacting one-dimensional models. We solve these models using bozonization and identify topologically non-trivial phases by counting the additional degeneracy (affiliated with the edge modes) of a finite-size system relative to the infinite one. We find even if the mean-field solution is topological, this may not be true when it arises from spontaneous symmetry breaking, including in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. This implies that the original SSH model, as presented by Su, Schrieffer, and Heeger, is topologically trivial, as opposed to its mean-field version. A spinful version, on the other hand, does exhibit a topologically non-trivial phase. In that state, both mean-field solutions are topologically non-trivial and correspond to non-interacting SSH chains in the opposite phases with the winding number

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